Abstract
Mole National Park is the largest and the oldest national park in Ghana and an important bird area, yet its waterbird fauna is poorly documented because it is situated in the northern ecological zone far away from the coast of Ghana. Information on the seasonal variation in the park’s bird abundance and diversity is generally patchy but necessary for effective birdwatching planning and management of the park’s birds. Therefore, as a guide to potential ecotourists interested in waterbirds, this study described the seasonal variation in waterbird species diversity and abundance at Mole National Park. As waterbirds mostly congregate around open wetlands and their abundance is more appropriately determined by counting all individuals in the congregant, data were collected using the total area count of waterbirds from August 2015 to October 2015 (the wet season) and from December 2015 to February 2016 (the dry season). Secondary data on arrival of tourists in the park were also analysed. The park’s waterbird species richness was 29 in the dry season compared to 18 in the wet season. There was significant difference (p < 0.05) in the abundance of waterbirds in the dry season in which 4014 waterbirds were encountered compared to 646 in the wet season. The yearly tourist arrival data at Mole National Park shows an increasing trend with peak visitation period occurring during the wet season. The chances of tourists encountering more species and numbers of waterbirds in the park are higher in the dry season compared to the wet season.Conservation implications: Species richness and abundance of waterbirds in Mole National Park varied according to the wet and dry seasons with both the number of species and abundance higher in the dry season than the wet season. It is therefore indicative that most birdwatchers who visit the park in the wet season miss out on a number of species and numbers of waterbirds. To achieve effective birdwatching, management should schedule birdwatching activities to coincide with the dry season as the chances of encountering more species and numbers of waterbirds are higher.
Highlights
Several studies on waterbird ecology have been conducted in West Africa because of the region’s importance as wintering habitat for Palearctic migrant waterbirds (Gbogbo & Attuquayefio 2010; Gbogbo et al 2013; Gbogbo, Yeboah & Billah 2014; Ntiamoa-Baidu et al 1998; Ntiamoa-Baidu, Nyame & Nuoh 2000), the studies are largely restricted to the coastal ecological zone in the south
18 species were recorded in the wet season compared to 29 species in the dry season (Tables 1 and 2)
Considering the migratory status of the species of waterbirds identified in the Mole National Park, 9 out of the 18 species recorded in the wet season were residents, four were intra-African and the remaining five were Palearctic migrants (Table 1)
Summary
Several studies on waterbird ecology have been conducted in West Africa because of the region’s importance as wintering habitat for Palearctic migrant waterbirds (Gbogbo & Attuquayefio 2010; Gbogbo et al 2013; Gbogbo, Yeboah & Billah 2014; Ntiamoa-Baidu et al 1998; Ntiamoa-Baidu, Nyame & Nuoh 2000), the studies are largely restricted to the coastal ecological zone in the south. In Ghana, for instance, the only notable works previously conducted in the northern ecological zone of Ghana include Greig-Smith (1976, 1977), Dowsett-Lemaire and Dowsett (2005), Obodai and Nsor (2009), Nsor and Obodai (2014) and Aikins, Ziblim and Tuga (2017). These studies established some baseline data on birds and assessed environmental determinants influencing seasonal diversity and abundance of birds, none of the studies focused solely on waterbirds. The paucity of scientific information on the ecology of waterbirds in the northern ecological zone makes it impossible to determine the current state of the waterbirds in this zone
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call